Complaint volume
384 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Chevrolet Equinox Complaints
384 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, grouped by component category.
384 Total complaints
22 Crash reports
4 Fire reports
16 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are service brakes, power train, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 22 crash reports, 4 fire reports, 16 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 184 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 42,366 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to service brakes, power train, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox complaints?
22 Crash
4 Fire
16 Injury
0 Fatality
30 Towed
10 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Chevrolet Equinox complaint categories?
SERVICE BRAKES 60
POWER TRAIN 29
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 26
ENGINE 24
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 16
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 14
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 14
WHEELS 11
AIR BAGS 8
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 8
384 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023 | AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was in an accident when my 2018 Chevy Equinox rear ended a stopped vehicle at a traffic light. There was significant damage to the front of my vehicle 12k plus. The emergency braking system did not activate, nor did the airbags. My wife experienced severe contusions to the chest area.we wonder why the emergency braking system or airbags failed to deploy. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed Medical attention | 19,712 |
| Oct 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH and coming to a traffic signal, he depressed the brake pedal and felt extreme resistance. The brake pedal would not depress and the contact stated he observed a warning that stated "brake system fault." The contact ran through the intersection and crashed into a vehicle that was crossing the intersection on the rear passenger side quarter panel. The contact stated that the other vehicle stopped, his vehicle continued through the intersection, and was stopped by the curb on the opposite side of the intersection. The contact stated that the entire front end of his vehicle was damaged, both headlights were fractured and the front bumper had detached. The contact stated that all the front and side air bags had deployed. The contact reported he had sustained minor scratches on his arms and legs and a minor abrasion on his left arm. The contact and the other driver refused medical treatment. The contact stated that the police were on the scene and filed a report. The contact stated that both vehicles were towed away from the scene of the crash. The contact's vehicle was towed to an impound lot and had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed | 120,000 |
| Oct 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that after the vehicle was taken to receive brake service, the parking brake warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was stuck in relearn mode and that the EBCM pump valve failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed of an unknown TSB related to a recall then advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 64,000 |
| Sep 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to remain running after being started. While depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle was slow to respond. The contact stated that his brother used an ODB scanner and retrieved DTC codes: P0017 (Crank shaft Phaser, Exhaust Camshaft, Valve Cover Gasket), P1556 (Variable-Solenoid), P0011 (Camshaft), PO0014 (Engine), and P2227 (Turbo Charger). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the failure was related to the timing chain, cam shaft, brake booster, and vacuum pump. The contact called the local dealer, who stated that there was no coverage for the repair under recall or warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 182,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 182,000 |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a service appointment and while being serviced, the mechanic informed the contact that the DTC code for an open solenoid was retrieved. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to a transmission specialist where it was pending the repair. The contact stated that the dealer referred her to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,400. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 67,400 |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN | SUV started making weird sounds like winding up on acceleration and winding down slowing down underneath in June 2023. Got it on video. Intermittent. Had appointment for service in August. July 26 driving for vacation driveshaft fell from the front down on the highway. 54000 miles approximately on Equinox. GM said I hit something but nothing in road and no other damage underneath. Since new driveshaft installed, no more noises underneath. I have video of the noises underneath but can't upload them. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | STRUCTURE | Aluminum hood corrosion on front hood lip on many Equinox models. I thought mine was a 1 off but after researching it, a ton of people are having this issue. Even other Chevys like the Colorado and the Traverse. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | lost brakes had to have a pump booster pipe sensor the pump broke inside of motor i read on the internet this has happened to a few people | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | Pulling out of a parking lot. Service brake assist light came on. Brake malfunction. My kids and my safety at risk because I could have crashed had I not stopped. Car stalled and unable to restart. Car had to be towed. Mechanic looked at the care and the vacuum pump is broken and affected the timing chain. 2018 chevy Equinox. Many other reports online of this issue with Chevy. Per Chevy there are no recalls on this issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ENGINE | Car stopped working at 72K miles. sputtered, stopped, cranked but no start. P0017 error - which has a TSB on it. Camshaft position error. Chevy knows about the issue but just hopes it happens outside of warranty, which is not acceptable. Vacuum pump also had catastrophic failure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I get a ‘Forward Collision System Unavailable’ warning frequency when the outside temperature is high and the humidity seems high as well. I thought this was a one time thing but it has happened multiple times. I thought the issue was related to my old battery but the issue still appears after replacing the vehicle battery. The last time it happened was on July 31, 2023 at 3:20pm (eastern time zone). I live in Newry, South Carolina. The high for the day was 100 degrees. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | The vacuum pump that controls the power brakes broke/went tight, causing the brake pedal to get extremely hard and almost caused us to crash on the interstate. It turns out that this vacuum pump is attached to the camshaft on the 2018 Equinox and it doesn't have a shear pin, so when it goes tight, it destroys the camshaft and timining chain as well. It will cost over $4k to repair. This is a huge safety concern, not to mention the unexcpected costs to the consumer. GM is well aware of this issue, and has issued recalls on the same vacuum pump on different models of Chevrolets/GMCs | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was firm while depressed, and the vehicle failed to stop immediately. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 125,000 |
| Aug 2023 | AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | At 12pm on June 11, 2023 I was parked in a church sparking lot in East Rochester and was facing the church's stone wall. My vehicle was only 2 feet from the was when the car accelerated toward the wall and all of the airbags opened and the hood and side panels were affected causing the vehicle was considered totaled by my insurance. My foot was on the brake and I was preparing to put the car in park when the car lurched forward and hit the wall at a high rate of speed. GM examined the car and gave me a report I could not understand but their report indicated that there was not a vehicle defect. I find this highly improbable. I can send the report and perhaps your organization can read it or do your own inspection of my vehicle. Thank you very much for your attention to this matter. This same thing has happened to 2 other people I know who drive Equinoxes. Best Regards, [XXX] [XXX] Cell [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | POWER TRAIN | While accelerating on an onramp, the rear driveshaft, where it connects to the transmission, just disconnected. I had been traveling on an interstate just prior to the event and was getting back on the interstate. This is very concerning since the interstate speed is 75, and with the driveshaft dropping down at that speed it could have been catastrophic. There was no vibration prior to the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the brake pedal was firm while depressed. Additionally, while the brake pedal was depressed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to stop in a reasonable amount of time. The service brake assist warning light and the check engine warning light were illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V576000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) however, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,312. | Crash: No Fire: No | 74,312 |
| Jul 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | Vaccum for the brakes have gone out 3 times in the last 2 years. This is the second time I have almost crashed with my kids in the car!! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | GM Brake Vacuum Pump - I understand there was a recall done a few years ago on this part. This is a known issue with GM, and they seem to refuse to address it in ALL their vehicles. My vehicle went out of service on Friday, July 7, 2023, after fueling and would not start. I was 5 days over the 100-day Carvana warranty, but they agreed to repair the sensor that Firestone said I needed to have replaced along with the spark plugs. After repairing these items, it still was doing the same thing of starting up but making a horrible sound and not turning over. They suggested I have it towed to the dealership. The dealership called 7/12/23 and stated that I needed a new vacuum pump and a sleuth of other parts that would cost me around $1900 in repairs. This car has 61,121 miles on it. When I purchased it, it had a little over 57,000 miles on it. From the sounds of it, I was incredibly lucky this happened where and when it did as oppose to being stopped in the middle of the road and the auto start/stop failing me. There were zero warning lights, alerts from the app, etc. I did hear a noise one time about a month ago, but I thought I kicked up something because I was traveling down a dirt road and when I stopped and got out to look I did not see anything hanging. As soon as I got on the main road the noise resolved. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,POWER TRAIN | Auto stop caused Service Brake Assist warning to pop up on dash. Resolved on its own. A week later, steering assist disabled message pops up while driving and car didn't start after coming to a stop. Service ESC, Traction off, service brake assist messages, all pop up. Car did not restart. Vehicle is currently at Cooley Chevrolet in Irving, TX awaiting results of tests. Obviously, this is a common issue judging from the number of complaints on the Internet about it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | The emergency break was stuck it wouldn’t allow the parking break to release which caused me to not be able to stop. It drove fine for 40 miles then when I turned into a parking lot it wouldn’t stop even with the emergency break released. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The sunroof has a major leak, flowing through the fuze box and filling up the spare tire well and soaking all the carpets. This could potentially create a very bad mold issue, which I am trying to avoid. I’ve seen many others with this car have the same issue and nothing is being done to solve this. I am paying all this money for a car that is just going to rot from all this water, and possibly cause sickness with the mold. How is this not a recall? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the panoramic moon roof failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to fix the vehicle. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 80,000 |
| May 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | I was driving in a major city near Mt house when I went to return rught and apply the brakes my petal went right to the floor and suv wouldn't stop so I firmly mashed brake pedal and got vehicle to stop. Upon hitting out of suv I xhexked brake resuvour abd it still had brake fluid in it. I sat a few moment tovaee ifvit was just hot and after a few minutes unstated suv and xstill had no power brakes. And so I carefully drove the suv back ti Mt house. When I'm trouble shooting it now I suspect the master brake cylebdwrxwent out on the suv. Luckily ivqas able to stop safely and didnt get into an accident. And cause major vehicle damage or guttvirckmkill soneine or even my self. Thecsyv is a 2018cwgixh I fibdxl it strange that a fairly new shouldn't have a master cylender go out that fast. I just wanted to letsomeone know avout thisoproblem before it happens to someneone else which could seriously hurt or kill someone thankbyou | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The first half of the panoramic moon roof exploded as I was driving down the road. There are several article about this same issue happening to other GM vehicles however, it was never determined to be a recall. The vehicle has not been inspected. It is sitting in my garage waiting for a part to come in so a glass company can install a new one. There was no warning, the roof was not hit by anything, it just exploded as I was driving down a major highway. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | POWER TRAIN | Check Engine Light on Diagnosis (1-2) 1. P171A-00 - transmission surge solenoid valve circuit open 2 - P171B-00 - Transmission surge solenoid valve circuit low | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |